Advertise on podcast: Creative Characters

New York-born Max Phillips has been drawing letters for money since he was a teenager. But his path to full-time type design was a bit circuitous — and even involves a stint as a novelist. Join us as Max, founder of Dublin-based Signal Type, waxes poetically about designing typefaces. He shares the creative process behind his diverse library; how Hermann Zapf has influenced him; and the delicate balance between crafting bold faces to amuse yourself and making versatile fonts for the design world. Check out the newly expanded version of Max's Reckham family from Signal Type on MyFonts and Monotype Fonts. You can find blog posts for this and past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

This week, we travel to Thailand to hear the story behind Cadson Demak, the Bangkok-based type foundry and design studio that has been shaping the landscape of Thai typography and design for 25 years. Host Dan Rhatigan chats with Founding Partner Anuthin Wongsunkakon and Senior Type Designer Nalat Jaturapattarapong about how their foundry and studio have influenced Thai type culture, moving from a time when fonts were undervalued to building a thriving industry. They discuss the complexities of the Thai script, the evolution of the design industry in Thailand, and their pivotal role in educating designers and creating infrastructure for the industry. You can find blog posts for this and past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

Step into the world of Malcolm Garrett, an iconic British graphic designer whose career is grounded in punk rock and new technology.In this episode, Malcolm talks about designing record sleeves for bands like Buzzcocks, Duran Duran, and Simple Minds, as well as his enthusiasm for adopting new digital design tools. From the DIY spirit of London's Shoreditch neighborhood in the '80s to learning how to design on Apple IIe computers and early iterations of Adobe Illustrator, Malcolm's reflections offer a glimpse into the evolution of graphic design over the past five decades. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

Toronto-based Bruce Mau Design is known for tackling environmental, social, and economic problems with design. Kar Yan Cheung, Director of Design Strategy at Bruce Mau, and Laura Stein, Bruce Mau's Chief Creative Officer, joined us to talk about optimism, the realistic potential for design to influence behavior, and our Re:Vision project with the agency. Also joining us are Monotype's Terrance Weinzierl and Phil Garnham, and Phil's puppy, Otto. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

Tune in for an inside scoop on Adobe Max 2025, a hub for creativity and design. In this episode, hosts Carl Unger, Kadley Gosselin, and Livia Halltari guide participants through an interactive Find the Font game and reveal which font they'd send in their place to a job interview. We also trade notes about MAX's vibrant artist marketplace; talk to Monotype Executive Creative Director, Sara Soskolne, about her work expanding the iconic Gotham typeface for the Obama Foundation; and catch up with John Roshell of Comicraft. You can find blog posts for this and past episodes at monotype.com/podcast

Cyla Costa's work feels alive. Hailing from Curitiba, Brazil, she's an award-winning graphic artist and type designer known for expressive lettering and vibrant color palettes. Feminism, strength, inclusivity, and culture are a few of the themes her work explores. This week, Cyla chats with host Molly Doane about building a creative career and studio in Brazil, her approach to type design, and why letters are not only meant to be read.  You can find blog posts for this and past episodes at monotype.com/podcast

In this episode, Joy Nazzari chats about her corner of the design world—place branding—with host Marie Boulanger. Joy is the Founder and Executive Chair of DNCO, an agency that's done branding for neighborhoods in London, New York, and Vancouver as well as the city of San Francisco.    From her early days in finance and tech to building an agency that centers both creativity and business strategy, Joy shares her perspective on design leadership, the power of  discomfort, and how to connect people to places in meaningful ways.   To see Joy's work, visit dnco.com. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast 

What does it take to build an international type foundry from scratch — and keep it thriving for nearly two decades? In this episode, host Doug Wilson talks with Veronika Burian, co-founder of the independent type foundry TypeTogether. From her background in industrial design to discovering a love for typography while working in Milan, Veronika shares how global experiences shaped her perspective and inspired her to build a remote global team.  You'll hear about the delicate craft of designing multi-script typefaces that respect multiple cultures, honest reflections on growing a collaborative team across continents, and why mentoring new voices in type design feels like one of Veronika's most important missions. To see work from Veronika and TypeTogether, head to type-together.com or check out their typefaces on MyFonts.   You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast

Host Livia Halltari chats with Cihan Tamti, a graphic designer based in Bochum, Germany. Cihan designs for clients like Nike, Calvin Klein, and Ms. Lauryn Hill. Yet he's passionate about designing in his community, spending time each year on the identity for a local film festival called DOXS RUHR and on pro bono work for local coffee shops and restaurants. In this episode, Livia talks to Cihan about his creative process, his early interest in graffiti, the magic of having an art teacher who encouraged him, and designing the identity for the world's largest sailing event.  You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast

Aaron Draplin likely needs little introduction. He's one of the most beloved and best-known graphic designers working today. People fill auditoriums for his talks and workshops, wait in long lines to take selfies and buy Draplin Design Company merch, and fill his DMs with requests for advice. In this episode, originally published in 2023, Draplin shares his perspective on design education, staying inspired and motivated, the "surreal" experience of becoming a mentor figure, and the "weird little spot" he's in as he approaches 50. He's a fixture at Adobe Max, coming up next month, so we thought it was a good time to dig this one out of the archives. Warning: some explicit language, but all in jest! You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast

This week we sit down with Kristy Campbell, the founder of Pink Pony Creative, a New Zealand-based design agency known for its bold style: think hot pink, variable fonts, and playful patterns. We originally met Kristy at Adobe Max, where she's spoken about crafting sticky brand identities and the power of personal branding. In this episode, Kristy shares how she turned her passion for personality-driven design into a thriving agency that's known for pushing boundaries. And she doesn't hold back. Kristy opens up about the highs and lows of owning an agency — handling failures, navigating imposter syndrome, and challenges around being a public-facing creative. She also gets real about balancing her role as a new mom with running a business. Listen in for practical advice on how to break through the digital noise and establish your own unique brand or creative business. To see Kristy's work, check out @kristy.thepinkpony or @pinkponycreative on Instagram.   You can find blog posts for this and all out past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

Join host Dan Rhatigan as he sits down with Sandro Berra, the Coordinator of Tipoteca Italiana, a world-class type museum, archive, and print shop located in the charming countryside of Cornuda, Italy. Dan has been teaching at TipoItalia — a type residency at Tipoteca — for the past three summers and caught Sandro while they were both in Cornuda. Together, they dive into the magic of Tipoteca, an institution dedicated to preserving the rich history of Italian typography while inspiring modern creativity. You'll also hear firsthand accounts from workshop participants embracing their inner type nerd in a setting out of a design lover's daydream. From letterpress printing to exploring vintage wood type to devouring delicious €6 pizzas, this creative residency combines inspiration, collaboration, and Italian culture. Tune in to hear how Tipoteca bridges the past and future of design. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

This week, we sit down with designer David Jon Walker and talk about his journey from Nashville to Yale. We explore how David's roots, family inspirations (his quilting grandmother!), and a persistent drive to learn have shaped his style and career in typography and design. David candidly shares the sacrifices, risks, and leaps of faith that brought him to where he is today, including starting a new MFA mid-life and juggling fatherhood. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with insights and a reminder that the creative process is full of unexpected turns — and endless possibilities. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

Ohno Type Company is an industry rebel. Equal parts punk and precision, the studio is a direct reflection of founder James' Edmondson love of expression and eccentricity. From globular California hippie text (Chee) to deceptively complex takes on classic geometric forms (Polymath), James and his team chart their own course through the wilds of type design. In this interview from 2021, James discusses his story, process, and mindset with Monotype's Charles Nix, and shares his thoughts on building a stable, rewarding creative career. James has a new book publishing this fall, The Ohno Book: A Serious Guide to Irreverent Type Design. Preorder today at Bookshop.org. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast.

Alex Swatridge is the kind of creative you wish you could just sit down and brainstorm with. In this episode, host Graham Sturt talks to Alex about co-founding DutchScot, her London-based design agency that's making waves with bold, award-winning work. Preferring to gain inspiration from physical books and museum visits instead of scrolling, Alex shares her approach to design and how she stays true to her ideas while avoiding trends. Plus, hear Alex's thoughts on AI in design and how DutchScot keeps their work collaborative and human-centered. Whether you're a designer or just curious about the creative process, this episode is full of insights that'll leave you inspired to step away from your screen and find meaning in the physical world. You can find blog posts for this and all our past episodes at monotype.com/podcast Check out DutchScot's work at dutch.scot